After release, Hafiz Saeed vows to fight for Kashmir

Lahore: Hours after his release from house arrest, Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed gave an hour-long Friday sermon at the JuD headquarters here, accusing the Pakistan government of taking “dictation from foreign masters” to appease India.
A large number of JuD activists had gathered at the Jamia Masjid Al-Qadsia at Chauburji here.
After Friday prayers, the charged workers greeted Saeed on his release and renewed their pledge for “Kashmir Jihad”.
Saeed in his speech also targeted the Pakistani government for “taking dictation from foreign masters” and spoke of “Indian atrocities” in Kashmir.
He told his supporters the “reasons” behind his 10-month detention, and also as to why Nawaz Sharif was ousted as prime minister.
“Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been punished for forsaking Kashmiris. Sharif is ousted from the prime minister house because he committed treason with Kashmiris. He wanted friendship with India and completely ignored the Kashmir cause,” he said and warned the PML-N government not to bow before the international community for loans.
“The rulers must not take dictation from the US and other countries and take its own decisions,” he said.
Saeed walked from house arrest as a free man in the early hours of Friday after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any case. He had been under detention since January this year.
The JuD chief reiterated that he was detained for raising his voice for the Kashmiri people. He said Pakistan should not hold peace dialogue with India till it withdraws its army from Kashmir.
He said he would continue fighting for Kashmiris till they get freedom. Saeed reiterated that the US, on India’s request, pressured Pakistan to detain him.
“I was detained for 10 months only to stop my voice for Kashmir,” Saeed told his supporters gathered outside his residence to celebrate his release.
“I fight for the case of Kashmiris. I will gather the people from across the country for the cause of Kashmir and we will try to help Kashmiris get their destination of freedom,” he said upon his release.
Punjab province’s Judicial Review Board comprising judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday unanimously ordered Saeed’s release on the completion of his 30-day house arrest which expired on Thursday night.
Saeed said that he was detained when he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris in January.
Using the release order to buttress his claim of “innocence”, Saeed said: “I am very happy that none of the allegations against me proved as three judges of the LHC ordered my release… India had levelled baseless allegations against me. The LHC’s review board decision has proved that I am innocent”.
The JuD chief said that the US, on India’s request, pressured Pakistan to detain him.
“I was detained on the pressure of the US on the Pakistani government. The US did so on the request of India,” he claimed.
Several JuD supporters, gathered outside Saeed’s house in Lahore’s Jauhar town to celebrate his release, shouted anti- India slogans and described their leader as “a hope for the Kashmiri people”.
“We are happy to see our leader free. Hafiz sahib received his release order from the jail officials. Now he is a free man,” JuD spokesman Ahmad Nadim said.
“Saeed has been freed as the Punjab government decided not to detain him further in any other case,” a top government official told PTI.
He said that after a long deliberation, it has been decided to follow the review board’s decision.

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Launched in May 2012, Kashmir Reader is one of the leading English language newspapers of Jammu and Kashmir. It’s published daily from Srinagar by Helpline Group, which earned a name and fame in serious journalism